Method and installation for folding a textile strip length, in particular a strip length for a label

ABSTRACT

A method for folding a textile strip length, including the steps of first holding the strip length firmly close to an auxiliary folding edge whose direction is parallel to a definitive folding edge, folding a part of the strip around the auxiliary folding edge substantially perpendicular to the plane of the strip length to form a definitive fold, gripping an end of the part of the strip folded around the auxiliary folding edge, compressing the part of the strip against a clamping surface arranged substantially co-planar with the plane of the strip length and belonging to a clamping element forming the definitive fold, and smoothing and fixing the folded part of the strip lying substantially in the plane of the strip length between the clamping surfaces arranged substantially in the plane of the strip length.

This is a U.S. national stage of application No. PCT/CH01/00041, filedon Jan. 19, 2001. Priority is claimed on that application and on thefollowing applications: Country: Switzerland, Application No.: 440/00,Filed: Mar. 7, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for folding a textile strip length, inparticular a strip length for a label and to an installation forcarrying out the method.

PRIOR ART

Methods and installations of the type mentioned at the beginning areknown, for example from IT-1 268 836 B. In the method described thereand the installation for carrying it out, a strip length is first heldfirmly close to an auxiliary folding edge which is to be formed andwhose direction is parallel to the definitive folding edge. The part ofthe strip which projects reaches over a gap formed by two clampingelements, the clamping surfaces of which being aligned perpendicular tothe plane of the strip lengths. A flat blade pushes this part of thestrip into the gap, forming a fold, and then has to be withdrawn againbefore the fold formed can be smoothed and fixed by pressing theclamping surfaces against each other. Here, the problem arises that whenthe blade is pulled out, the fold formed is easily changed or evendestroyed. Even when the fold is smoothed and fixed properly, there isthe further disadvantage that this fold around the auxiliary foldingedge is aligned perpendicular to the plane of the strip. By means of thesmoothing and fixing operation, this auxiliary fold is also firstlyfixed, so that in the finally folded strip length the folded parts ofthe strip project at right angles to the plane of the strip lengths,which is undesired and as a rule makes post-processing of the foldedstrip lengths necessary.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,874 A discloses another method and anotherinstallation for folding a textile strip length, the strip lengthfirstly being held firmly by means of an L-shaped holding element besidea folding edge to be formed. The projecting part of the strip is firstlyfolded by means of a folding element at right angles to the plane of thestrip length and then turned over a holding foot of the L-shaped holdingelement, parallel to the plane of the strip length. The holding foot ofthe L-shaped holding element then has to be withdrawn again before thefold formed is smoothed and fixed by pressing clamping surfaces, whichare aligned parallel to the strip length, against each other. Althoughthe fold formed already lies in the plane of the strip length, theproblem also results here that when the holding foot is withdrawn, thefold formed can easily be changed or even destroyed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to improve a method and aninstallation for folding a textile strip length, in particular a striplength for a label, in such a way that the aforementioned disadvantagesno longer occur.

a) a method as claimed in claim 1; and

b) an installation for carrying it out as claimed in claim 2.

Pursuant to this object, and others which will become apparenthereafter, one aspect of the present invention resides in a method forfolding a textile strip length by first holding the strip length firmlyclose to an auxiliary folding edge whose direction is parallel to adefinitive folding edge, folding a part of the strip around theauxiliary folding edge substantially perpendicular to the plane of thestrip length to form a definitive fold, gripping an end of the part ofthe strip folded around the auxiliary folding edge, compressing the partof the strip against a clamping surface arranged substantially co-planarwith the plane of the strip length and belonging to a clamping elementforming the definitive fold, and smoothing and fixing the folded part ofthe strip line substantially in the plane of the strip length betweenthe clamping surfaces arranged substantially in the plane of a striplength.

The fact that the strip part angled over around an auxiliary foldingedge is gripped and compressed and therefore folded against a clampingsurface which is aligned substantially coplanar with the plane of thestrip section results in two critical advantages. Since, during thecompression, the compression tool does not engage in the fold or a gapbetween the clamping elements, it can remain in use until the clampingsurfaces have gripped and fixed the folds, so that exact alignment andshaping of the folds is always provided, and slipping is undoubtedlyprevented. Furthermore, the clamping surfaces rise substantially in theplane of the strip length, so that the folded, smoothed and fixed foldsof the strip length likewise lie in the plane of the strip length andthe auxiliary folded edge is eliminated, so that a satisfactory, flat,folded strip length is produced and post-treatment is no longernecessary.

In order to carry out the method, various installations are conceivable.For example, it is possible for support elements, on which stripsections rest for processing, to be arranged at rest and for folding andclamping tools to be moved against the resting support die. Aparticularly advantageous installation for folding the textile striplength includes a support element for the strip length to be folded,which support element has a support surface aligned parallel to thestrip length and an auxiliary folding edge aligned parallel to a foldingedge to be created. The installation further has a holding elementarranged to cooperate with the support surface of the support elementfor the strip length. A folding element is provided for forming a foldof the strip length between clamping surfaces of two clamping elementsfor smoothing and fixing the fold. The clamping surfaces of the clampingelements are aligned substantially co-planar with a plane of the striplength to be folded. The auxiliary folding edge has a supporting surfacealigned substantially perpendicular to the support surface of thesupport element. The folding element has a compression edge arranged tocooperate with the supporting surface of the auxiliary folding edge soas to grip an end of the part of the strip to be turned over against thesupporting surface into a compressed part of the strip against theclamping surface of one of the clamping elements to form the definitivefold.

For the folding of the part of the strip projecting beyond the supportsurface of the support element, various possibilities result. Forexample, the support element can be arranged at rest and the holdingelement, which can be biased, can be biased against the support surface.An appropriate folding element can then be moved along the supportelement in order to turn over the projecting part of the strip againstthe supporting surface. By contrast, in a particularly preferredsolution the support element together with the holding element that canbiased against the support surface are movable into and out of a holdingposition for the strip length.

In addition, diverse possibilities result for the configurations of thefolding element. For example, a spatula can be moved over the auxiliaryfolding edge of the support element and along the supporting surface inorder to turn the projecting part of the strip over against thesupporting surface. However, in a particularly advantageous embodimentthe folding element has an oblique run-on surface which, during arelative movement between support element and folding element, turnsover a part of the strip which projects beyond the support surfacearound the auxiliary folding edge and against the supporting surface. Inorder to permit reliable turnover, the support element and the foldingelement are biased toward each other.

It is particularly expedient if the folding element is also designed asa clamping element, against which the other clamping element is biased.This biasing can be produced by various means, for example byelectromagnetic or fluid-actuated means. However, biasing by means of aspring is particularly advantageous. This also makes it easier to raisethe clamping element by means of the support element, which can be movedin relation thereto.

The holding element can be biased against the support element by a biasspring and can be moved by the support element into an initial positionin which the holding element is latched by a releasable latch. In oneembodiment, the holding element is set back with respect to theauxiliary folding edge of the support surface of the support element,and the support surface cooperates with the clamping element arranged toproject beyond the folding element by means of the auxiliary foldingedge so as to raise the clamping element off the folding element as thesupport element is moved out.

In a further embodiment of the invention, at least one of the clampingelements is provided with a heating element.

In another embodiment of the invention a folding station, a conveyingdevice and an unloading station are provided. The support element andthe holding element are arranged in a stationary manner on the foldingstation and the folding element with the clamping element is arranged onthe conveying device which can be moved from the folding station to theunloading station. This construction permits a continuous operation ofthe installation. The conveying device can be provided with a pluralityof folding elements and clamping elements distributed over its length.In order to drive the conveying device, an extremely wide range ofmaterials can be used, for example a stepping motor, a standard motorwith limit-switch control, a Maltese-cross drive or the like.

In principle, it is possible to construct the installation in such a waythat a strip length is provided with a fold only at one end. In the caseof labels, however, two folds are desired at the two ends. This two-foldoperation can be accomplished using two tool sets wherein one tool setis a mirror image of the other tool set. In order to be able to set theinstallation to strip lengths of different lengths, one set of tools isarranged such that it can be displaced relative to the other set, inorder to be able to set the mutual spacing to the desired length of thestrip lengths.

The installation expediently has a delivery device for the strip lengthsto the support element. Such a delivery device is advantageouslyconfigured in order to supply a continuous strip, from which striplengths are severed at an appropriate severing device. According to afurther embodiment, the feed device can be equipped with a conveyingelement, in which the lengths of the strip lengths to be severed can beset. An installation which is particularly capable of adaptation resultsif the severing device has both a mechanical cutting device and athermal cutting device, for example an infrared or ultrasonic cuttingdevice, which can be used as desired.

The installation in another embodiment is expediently equipped with astacking device for the folded strip lengths, it having proven to beadvantageous to provide a magazine, in which the folded strip lengthscan be moved against a displacement resistance and can be held.

It is also advantageous that both the method and the installation aresuitable for an extremely wide range of folds, for example, not just forthe production of strip lengths with one or two end folds but also forproducing strip lengths with a center fold. Even the production of striplengths with a diagonal fold is conceivable. This is possible sincefolding is carried out merely by means of a compression operationagainst a flat clamping surface which, moreover, is alignedsubstantially in or parallel to the plane of the strip lengths, so thatfolding can be carried out at any desired point on the strip length andwith any desired alignment of the auxiliary folding edge. This makes itpossible to use only simple tools which, on one and the sameinstallation, can also readily be replaced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in more detailbelow using schematic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an installation for folding a textile strip length, inparticular a strip length for a label in plan view;

FIG. 2 shows the installation of FIG. 1 in side view;

FIGS. 3a to 3 c show the folding station of the installation accordingto FIG. 1 in detail, in longitudinal section and in various operatingpositions;

FIGS. 4a to 4 h show the principle of the folding at the folding stationaccording to a schematic representation and in various intermediatestages from the insertion of a strip length until the deposition of thefolded strip length;

FIG. 5 shows an outline of the folding station for producing a striplength with center fold;

FIG. 6 shows the folding station according to FIG. 5 in longitudinalsection;

FIG. 7 shows an outline of the folding station for producing a striplength with diagonal fold; and

FIG. 8 shows the folding station of FIG. 7 in longitudinal section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a schematic representation of an installation forfolding a textile strip length, in particular a strip length for alabel. The installation includes a delivery device 2, at which striplengths 8 are severed from an endless strip 4 by means of a severingdevice 6 and are fed to a folding station 12 by means of a transferdevice 10. At the folding station 12, the strip lengths 8 are folded atthe ends and the folded strip lengths 8 a are held firmly on clampingtools 14 of a carousel-like conveying device 16, which is rotatablymounted over a shaft 15. The folded strip lengths 8 a are thus conveyedonward from the folding station 12 to an unloading station 18, wherethey are transferred by means of lever arms 20 to a magazine 22 of astacking device 24. The lever arms 20, which are mounted such that theycan rotate about a pivot 26, are actuated by means of an actuator 28 anddischarge the folded strip lengths 8 a to the magazine 22 against adisplacement resistance 30.

The delivery device 2 contains a feed device 31 with a feed table 32, onwhich an endless strip 4 from a supply roll, not specificallyillustrated, is fed by means of a conveying element 34 to the severingdevice 6 in the desired length of the strip length. The conveyingelement 34 can be, for example, a conveying arm moving back and forth ora driven conveying roll. The strip length to be conveyed is to bedetermined by a sensor 36, which responds to strip marks on the strip 4supplied. In addition, inspection means (not specifically illustrated)for determining strip faults can also be associated with the feed table32. The severing device 6 contains a thermal cuffing device 6 a, forexample an infrared or ultrasonic cutting device 6 a, and a mechanicalcutting device 6 b, which can come into use as desired, depending on thematerial characteristics of the strip to be treated. The transfer device10 between the severing device 6 and the folding station 12 has firstly,after the severing device 6, a conveying arm 40 which is driven inoscillation by means of a drive 38, for example a fluid-actuatedpiston/cylinder unit, which arm transfers the strip length 8 from thesevering device 6 to a rail 42. The latter is driven back and forth bymeans of an oscillating drive 44 in order to feed the strip length tothe folding station, as emerges from FIG. 4a.

One half of the folding station is illustrated schematically in FIGS. 3ato 3 c. A second half, which is of identical construction, exists as amirror image of this, as emerges from 4 a to 4 h. The folding station 12contains a support element 46, which is arranged on a carriage 50 suchthat it can be pivoted about an axis of rotation 48, said carriage 50being mounted in the machine frame 52 such that it can be moved up anddown. A bias spring 54 biases the support element 46 into the verticalbasic position. On the upper side, the support element 46 contains asupport surface 56, to which the strip length 8 to be treated istransferred by means of the rail 42 and deposited (FIG. 4a). A holdingelement 60 biased against the support surface 46 by means of a spring 58holds the strip length 8 firmly on the support element 46 (FIG. 4b). Thesupport element 46 also has an auxiliary folding edge 62, which isaligned parallel to the folding edge (96 in FIG. 4g) of the fold to beproduced (94 in FIG. 4g) and around which the part 64 of the stripprojecting beyond the support surface can be folded against a supportingsurface 66 adjoining the auxiliary folding edge 62 (FIGS. 4c and 4 d).The supporting surface 66 is aligned substantially perpendicular to thesupport surface 56. The support element 46 can be moved by means of adrive 68 shown in FIG. 2, for example a fluid-operated piston/cylinderunit, from the basic position shown in FIGS. 3a and 4 b into the foldingposition shown in FIGS. 3b and 4 d. In the process, the support element46 comes into contact with the inclined run-on surface 70 of a foldingelement 72, which turns over the part 64 of the strip against thesupporting surface 66 (FIGS. 3b, 4 c and 4 d). At the same time, aclamping element 74 is raised, which is arranged above the foldingelement 72 such that it can be pivoted and is biased by means of aspring 76 against the folding element 72 which, at the same time, isalso designed as a clamping element 73. Tn order to permit the clampingelement 74 to be raised, the holding element 60 is set back with respectto the auxiliary folding edge 62 of the support element 46, so that thesupport element 46 can interact with the clamping element 74 projectingbeyond the folding element 72 or clamping element 73.

In the folding position shown in FIG. 3b, the holding element 60 latchesby means of an opening 78 onto a latching pin 80, which is biased intothis latching position by means of a spring 82. The latching pin 80 canbe pulled back from the locking position by means of an actuator 84. Theholding element 60 is guided such that it can be displaced on a rail 86by rollers 88, the rail 86 being connected in a fixed position to themachine frame 52.

The definitive formation of a fold is carried out in accordance withFIGS. 4d to 4 f, as follows. The folding edge 72 has a compression edge90 which, as FIG. 4d reveals, co-operates with the end of the part 64 ofthe strip turned over against the supporting surface 66, the supportingsurface 66 biased against the folding element 72 by means of the biasspring 54 reinforcing the engagement between the compression edge 90 andthe part 64 of the strip. The support element 46 is then pulled backinto the initial position, the compression edge 90 of the foldingelement 72 compressing the projecting part 64 of the strip against theclamping surface 92 of the clamping element 74 and, in the process,forming the definitive fold 94 with the folding edge 96, which lies inthe plane of the strip length 8 a, as revealed by FIGS. 4e and 4 f. Inthe process, the fold 94 is clamped in between the clamping surfaces 92of the clamping element 74 and the clamping surface 98 of the foldingelement 72, which at the same time is also designed as a clampingelement 73, said elements being aligned coplanar with the plane of thestrip length (FIGS. 4e and 4 f). The clamping element 73 contains aheating element 100, in order to smooth the fold 94 clamped in betweenthe clamping surfaces 92, 98 and to fix it in the turned-over form (FIG.4g). Smoothing and fixing are carried out during the conveying movementof the carousel-like conveying device 16 from the folding station 12 tothe unloading station 18 (FIGS. 4f to 4 h). There, the folded striplength 8 a is transferred into the magazine 22 of, the stacking device24 by means of the lever arms 20 with the clamping elements 73, 74 open.

In order to be able to set the installation to tape lengths of differentlengths, the installation, as already mentioned, is constructed from twohalves 102, 104, which can be displaced relative to each other, asindicated by the displacement arrow 106 in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the use of the installation for producing a labelwith a center fold. For this purpose, the strip length 8 is placed onthe support elements 46, 46 in such a way that the strip length 8 restswith about half its length on the auxiliary folding edge 62. The foldingoperation can then be carried out as hitherto, the folding edge 96 a ofthe center fold being located at half the length of the strip lengths.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the modification of the installation for producingstrip lengths with diagonal folding. To this end, the tools, that is tosay the support elements 46 a with the auxiliary folding edges 62 a, theholding elements 60 a, the folding elements 72 a and the clampingelements 73 a, 74 a are aligned parallel to the diagonal folding edges96 b to be produced. The folding operation is then likewise carried outagain in a manner analogous to FIGS. 4a to 4 h.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

 2 Delivery device  4 Strip  6 Severing device  6a Thermal cuttingdevice  6b Mechanical cutting device  8 Strip length  8a Folded striplength  8b Folded strip length  8c Folded strip length  10 Transferdevice  12 Folding station  14 Clamping tool  15 Shaft  16 Carousel-likeconveying device  18 Unloading station  20 Lever arm  22 Magazine  24Stacking device  26 Pivot  28 Actuator  30 Displacement resistance  31Feed device  32 Feed table  34 Conveying element  36 Sensor  38 Drive 40 Conveying arm  42 Rail  44 Drive  46 Support element  46a Supportelement  48 Axis of rotation  50 Carriage  52 Machine frame  54 Biasspring  56 Support surface  58 Spring  60 Holding element  60a Holdingelement  62 Auxiliary folding edge  62a Auxiliary folding edge  64 Partof strip  66 Supporting surface  68 Drive  70 Run-on surface  72 Foldingelement  72a Folding element  73 Clamping element  73a Clamping element 74 Clamping element  74a Clamping element  76 Spring  78 Opening  80Latching pin  82 Spring  84 Actuator  86 Rail  88 Roll  90 Compressionedge  92 Clamping surface of 74  94 Definitive fold  96 Folding edge 96a Folding edge  96b Folding edge  98 Clamping surface of 73 100Heating element 102 Half 104 Half 106 Displacement arrow

What is claimed is:
 1. An installation for folding a textile striplength, comprising: a support element for a strip length to be folded,the support element having a support surface aligned parallel to thestrip length and an auxiliary folding edge aligned parallel to a foldingedge to be created; a holding element arranged to co-operate with thesupport surface of the support element for the strip length; a biasspring arranged to bias the holding element against the support surfaceof the support element; clamping elements having clamping surfaces; anda non-L-shaped folding element for forming a fold of the strip lengthbetween the clamping surfaces of two clamping elements for smoothing andfixing the fold, the clamping surfaces of the clamping elements beingaligned substantially co-planar with a plane of the strip length to befolded, the auxiliary folding edge of the support element being assigneda supporting surface aligned substantially perpendicular to the supportsurface of the support element, the folding element having a compressionedge arranged to co-operate with the supporting surface of the auxiliaryfolding edges so as to grip an end of a part of the strip to be turnedover against the supporting surface and to compress the part of thestrip against the clamping surface of one of the clamping elements,whereby the folding parts directly contact each other, to form thedefinitive fold to be produced.
 2. The installation as defined in claim1, wherein the support element together with the holding element thatcan be biased against the support surface are arranged to be movableinto and out of a holding position for a strip length.
 3. Theinstallation as defined in claim 2, wherein the folding element has anoblique run-on surface so that during a relative movement between thesupport element and the folding element the folding element turns over apart of the strip projecting beyond the support surface around theauxiliary folding edge and against the supporting surface.
 4. Theinstallation as defined in claim 2, and further comprising a movablelatch, the holding element being movable by the support element into aninitial position in which the holding element is latched by the movablelatch.
 5. The installation as defined in claim 2, wherein the holdingelement is set back with respect to the auxiliary folding edge of thesupport surface of the support element, and the support surfacecooperates by means of the auxiliary folding edge with the clampingelement arranged to project beyond the folding element so as to raisethe clamping element off the folding element as the support element ismoved out.
 6. The installation as defined in claim 1, wherein thesupport element and the folding element are biased against each other.7. The installation as defined in claim 1, wherein the folding elementis configured to form a first one of the clamping elements, and furthercomprising a spring arranged to bias a second of the clamping elementsagainst the first clamping element, the second clamping element beingraisable by the support element.
 8. The installation as defined in claim1, wherein at least one of the clamping elements is provided with aheating element.
 9. The installation as defined in claim 1, and furthercomprising a folding station; a conveying device and an unloadingstation, the support element and the holding element being arranged in astationary manner on the folding station, the folding element with theclamping element being arranged on the conveying device, which can bemoved from the folding station to the unloading station.
 10. Theinstallation as defined in claim 9, wherein the conveying device is arotating carrier.
 11. The installation as defined in claim 9, whereinthe conveying device has a plurality of folding elements and clampingelements distributed over its length.
 12. The installation as defined inclaim 11, wherein the support element, the holding element, the clampingelements and the folding element form a first tool set, and furthercomprising a second tool set arranged at a distance from the first toolset so as to produce strip lengths with two folds.
 13. The installationas defined in claim 12, wherein the second tool set is arranged as amirror image of the first tool set.
 14. The installation as defined inclaim 1, and further comprising a delivery device for the strip lengthsassociated with the support element.
 15. The installation as defined inclaim 14, wherein the delivery device includes a feed device operativeto intermittently feed a continuous strip to a severing device in orderto sever strip lengths of a pre-determinable length, and a transferdevice operative to feed the strip lengths to the support element at afolding station.
 16. The installation as defined in claim 15, whereinthe feed device has a conveying element which acts only in a conveyingdirection and is settable in accordance with the predetermined length ofthe strip length to be severed.
 17. The installation as defined in claim15, wherein the severing device includes a mechanical cutting device anda thermal cutting device.
 18. The installation as defined in claim 1,and further comprising an unloading station having a stacking deviceoperative to stack the folded strip lengths.
 19. The installation asdefined in claim 18, wherein the stacking device has a magazine intowhich the folded strip lengths are movable against a displacementresistance and are held.
 20. The installation as defined in claim 1,wherein the support element, the holding element, the clamping elementsand the folding element are configured to produce strip lengths with anend fold.
 21. The installation as defined in claim 1, wherein thesupport element, the holding element, the clamping elements and thefolding element are arranged to produce strip lengths with a centerfold.
 22. The installation as defined in claim 1, wherein the supportelement, the holding element, the clamping elements and the foldingelement are arranged to produce strip lengths with a diagonal fold. 23.An installation for folding a textile strip length, comprising: asupport element for a strip length to be folded, the support elementhaving a support surface aligned parallel to the strip length and anauxiliary folding edge aligned parallel to a folding edge to be created;a holding element arranged to co-operate with the support surface of thesupport element for the strip length; a bias spring arranged to bias theholding element against the support surface of the support element;clamping elements having clamping surfaces; and a folding element forforming a fold of the strip length between the clamping surfaces of theclamping elements for smoothing and fixing the fold, the clampingsurfaces of the clamping elements being aligned substantially co-planarwith a plane of the strip length to be folded, the auxiliary foldingedge having a supporting surface aligned substantially perpendicular tothe support surface of the support element, the folding element having acompression edge arranged to co-operate with the supporting surface ofthe auxiliary folding edges so as to grip an end of a part of the stripto be turned over against the supporting surface and to compress thepart of the strip against the clamping surface of one of the clampingelements to form the definitive fold to be produced, the folding elementbeing configured to form at least one of the clamping elements, andfurther comprising a spring arranged to bias a second of the clampingelements against the first clamping element, the second clamping elementbeing raisable by the support element.
 24. An installation for folding atextile strip length, comprising: a support element for a strip lengthto be folded, the support element having a support surface alignedparallel to the strip length and an auxiliary folding edge alignedparallel to a folding edge to be created; a holding element arranged toco-operate with the support surface of the support element for the striplength; a bias spring arranged to bias the holding element against thesupport surface of the support element; clamping elements havingclamping surfaces; and a folding element for forming a fold of the striplength between the clamping surfaces of the clamping elements forsmoothing and fixing the fold, the clamping surfaces of the clampingelements being aligned substantially co-planar with a plane of the striplength to be folded, the auxiliary folding edge having a supportingsurface aligned substantially perpendicular to the support surface ofthe support element, the folding element having a compression edgearranged to co-operate with the supporting surface of the auxiliaryfolding edges so as to grip an end of a part of the strip to be turnedover against the supporting surface and to compress the part of thestrip against the clamping surface of one of the clamping elements toform the definitive fold to be produced, the support element togetherwith the holding element that can be biased against the support elementbeing arranged to be movable into and out of a holding position for astrip length, and further comprising a movable latch, the holdingelement being movable by the support element into a holding position inwhich the holding element is latched by the movable latch.
 25. Aninstallation for folding a textile strip length, comprising: a supportelement for a strip length to be folded, the support element having asupport surface aligned parallel to the strip length and an auxiliaryfolding edge aligned parallel to a folding edge to be created; a holdingelement arranged to co-operate with the support surface of the supportelement for the strip length; a bias spring arranged to bias the holdingelement against the support surface of the support element; clampingelements having clamping surfaces; and a folding element for forming afold of the strip length between the clamping surfaces of the clampingelements for smoothing and fixing the fold, the clamping surfaces of theclamping elements being aligned substantially co-planar with a plane ofthe strip length to be folded, the auxiliary folding edge having asupporting surface aligned substantially perpendicular to the supportsurface of the support element, the folding element having a compressionedge arranged to co-operate with the supporting surface of the auxiliaryfolding edges so as to grip an end of a part of the strip to be turnedover against the supporting surface and to compress the part of thestrip against the clamping surface of one of the clamping elements toform the definitive fold to be produced, the support element togetherwith the holding element that can be biased against the support elementbeing arranged to be movable into and out of a holding position for astrip length, the holding element being set back with respect to theauxiliary folding edge of the support surface of the support element,and the support surface cooperating by means of the auxiliary foldingedge with the clamping element arranged to project beyond the foldingelement so as to raise the clamping element off the folding element asthe support element is moved out.